In many of today's businesses, various tasks are now automated by computers. For instance, a word processor enables the reorganizing and rewriting of documents without the retyping known in the past. In addition, various documents may be organized and stored by a computer filing system which allows retrieval by name, by chronological or alphabetical order, or by other user-desired identification. Another example is a mail system on a network of computer terminals which allows messages to be sent to and from users of the network. Also, a phone system may be connected to a mail system which in turn enables phone messages to be stored and later forwarded to users. These and other computer devices enable various daily office tasks to be accomplished more quickly and more efficiently.
However, most computer devices require the user to be computer literate and to learn commands to direct the computer to perform the desired tasks. In more recent computer developments, user interaction with the computer, or as generally referenced in the art, the user interface, comprises menus or a series of commands from which to choose. For each decision juncture during the use of a computer device, an appropriate menu is displayed to the user to prompt the user on the available, proper commands at the juncture. The user only needs to choose the command from the menu which will direct (in part or in full) the computer to perform the desired task. Due to the menu providing the proper possible commands, the user does not have to remember or recall commands to the computer. Hence, the menus are considered to make computer devices more "user friendly".
Although, the choices on a menu generally are descriptive phrases written in terms which are more common to our everyday language rather than in a coded or technical computer language, the descriptive phrases may not initially have meaning, or at least the proper meaning, to a first-time user or a user who is not computer literate. The user does have to learn the respective meaning of each menu choice.
In addition, the input devices through which the user communicates commands or menu selections to the computer pose various complexities. For example, a keyboard requires knowledge of the position of each key in order for a user to use the keyboard proficiently. A mouse, being a relative movement device, requires certain eye-hand coordination and is operated by unnatural movements such as single and double clicking at appropriate times which must be remembered by the user.
In turn, many office personnel do not make use of computer devices because of the time and complexity in learning to operate these devices.
Accordingly, there is a need to make computer devices, and particularly those for office use, more "user friendly" and readily useable especially to first-time and computer illiterate users.